Method of manufacturing a fluid dispenser

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a dispenser for depositing a liquid material onto a print medium wherein a circular tube having a substantially uniform wall thickness is formed of moldable plastic material. The tube is placed in a mold cavity having a portion for receiving the tube in interfitting engagement and an enlarged cavity portion extending outwardly from the wall of the tube. Pressure is applied to the internal walls of the tube with the tube in plastic flow condition to expand the tube walls into the cavity forming a bulbous portion having a wall thickness less than the tube uniform wall thickness to provide a squeezable portion of greater flexibility than the remainder of the dispenser body.

As our invention, we claim. 
     
       1. A method of manufacturing a dispenser having wall structure for containing and depositing a liquid material onto a print medium which includes the steps of: forming a circular tube of moldable polymeric material having a substantially uniform wall thickness;   placing the tube in a mold having an internal wall structure forming a cavity having a portion for receiving the circular tube in interfitting engagement and an enlarged cavity portion extending outwardly from the centerline of the circular tube to a maximum cross-section diameter adjacent one end of the cavity and tapering towards either end of the cavity portion to form a plurality of cross-sectional areas of lesser dimension than the maximum dimension with one longitudinal wall segment remaining parallel to the centerline of the circular tube over its length;   applying pressure to the internal wall of the circular tube with said tube in the plastic flow condition to expand the tube wall into the enlarged cavity forming a bulbous portion of said dispenser, the tube uniform wall thickness and the maximum cross-sectional dimension being chosen to form a wall thickness at the mold enlarged cavity portion less than that of said tube uniform wall thickness to provide a squeezable enlarged portion on said dispenser of greater flexibility than the remainder of the dispenser body and to main a substantially rigid wall structure throughout the remaining length of the dispenser.   
     
     
       2. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said uniform wall thickness is substantially in the range of 25 thousandths to 33 thousandths of an inch. 
     
     
       3. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the tube wall thickness at the enlarged cavity portion is in the area of 12 thousandths to 20 thousandths of an inch.